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Tethers

Cortland tethers are among the most highly-rated in the world. In fact, Cortland is the only company selected to design and fabricate satellite tethers, which have been successfully deployed from the Space Shuttle. Electrical and optical signal, electrical power, and mechanical strength can be custom designed into a suitable cable package which meets your needs. We also produce a wide range of tethers for subsea applications, as well as on land and in space.  Trust Cortland for lightweight, flexible, and robust tethers.

Aerostat Tethers

Cortland’s tether cables provide services when weight is important. We manufacture small diameter, high strength aerostat tethers that minimize weight and drag for a wide range of clients. Electrical and optical signal, electrical power, and mechanical strength can again be custom designed into a suitable cable package by Cortland.


Aerostat tethers can significantly affect balloon performance, so are invariably required to be highly flexible and robust while being lightweight enough to offer minimum drag. Small diameter is crucial. Cortland offers consistent quality, quick deliveries, and strong technical support.


Benefits / Features
  • Combination options of power, signal and optics
  • Choice of component configurations
  • Choice of optical fibers
  • Thin wall insulation offering smaller diameter cables
  • Choice of high modulus fiber strength layers
  • High strength to weight ratio
  • Material stiffness
Aerospace Tethers

Cortland's history of experience with very long lines and electro-optical-mechanical cables over the past 40 years makes us the trusted choice for tethers conceived for space operations. Cortland delivered the first 100km aerospace tether in 1985 and then again designed, manufactured and delivered a 100km electro mechanical tether in 1987. The deployment and application conditions of aerospace tethers determine the details of conductor, insulation, and strength member design. Cortland uses special quality control procedures to assure minimum break strengths, as break strengths can range from 20  to more than 1 million lbs.  The cables are usually also proof loaded, both the continuous lengths and the terminations, in accordance with the working loads.  There are no limits to the continuous lengths except for practical problems of shipping large reels, etc.  Contact Cortland today for trusted aerospace tethers.

Benefits / Features
  • Combination options of power, signal and optics
  • Choice of component configurations
  • Choice of optical fibers
  • Thin wall insulation offering smaller diameter cables
  • Choice of high modulus fiber strength layers
  • High strength to weight ratio
  • No limit to continuous length